Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

observation allowed h e r to recognize the s ta te of the souls of others. A whole world of the in terio r of ano­ th e r ’s life opened before her. She could distinguish its ups and downs, th e struggle w ith self, and, ye t more th rea ten ing to the soul, th e resignation , as also the many sufferings, often acute, th a t accompany resigna­ tion. But i t was no t in h e r n a tu re to observe ano ther’s suffering while she remained passive. Her h ea r t, so full of sympathy, especially for th e wards, for whom the Congregation bore responsibility, reacted quickly and compelled h e r to offer help. The f irs t help a t h an d was to ask God to tran s fe r to h e r a p a r t of th e pain th a t some ward was going through . Her reason ing was simple: when the other person’s bu rden was easier, it would be also easier for h e r to overcome self. Both Je su s and h e r confessors allowed S is ter F au s ­ t in a to undertake th is kind of action (Diary, Notebook I, para. 192). She did th is a t various times righ t up to the end of h e r life. In h e r sp iritua l activity she took on herse lf above all the sufferings of souls weighed down with sins, b u t th is does no t mean th a t she was indif­ feren t to the needs of God’s workers. She supported more than one of h e r companions in th is way while they were in g rea t difficulty, not forgetting even the needs of her superiors, among others F a th e r Sopocko above all. An en try in h e r Diary a t th e beginning of 1936 gives the description of an in te res ting even t which illu s tra tes very well th is sphere of S ister F au s tin a ’s "activity"; and shows th a t i t had become one of the im po rtan t elements in h e r apostolate. The event concerns F a th e r Sopocko. S ister F au s tina always prayed a lot for him. She knew h is cares and difficulties, for Je su s had lifted the veil and shown he r both h is p re sen t difficulties and events connected with the activities and life of th is p ries t which were y e t to happen. S ister F au s tina was amazed th a t the re was so much suffering to come. She therefore asked Je su s to explain: 180